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A consent application has been lodged with Auckland Council to dredge two million cubic metres of sand over 20 years from the seabed at Pakiri.
Kaipara Ltd has applied to renew its consent to extract 150,000 cubic metres of sand a year, from a depth of 25 metres, offshore from the Pakiri-Mangawhai embayment.
The consent was last granted in 2003 and will expire in February 2023 if not renewed.
The new application would reduce the consented area for extraction from 636 cubic km to 44 cubic km.
The application notes that Pakiri has been an important source of sand because its ‘grain size and textural characteristics’ are preferred by the construction industry in Auckland.
Pakiri’s proximity to Auckland also means that the sand can be efficiently distributed throughout the North Island.
The application says there is a continued growth in demand for sand from the Auckland economy, with 450kg of sand used for each cubic metre of concrete.
“Concrete is used to meet the needs of urban expansion, including residential, business and road construction,” the application says.
Kaipara Ltd is based at Beachlands, in south-east Auckland, and also trades as Coastal Resources Ltd – a company which has been responsible for replenishing 13 Auckland beaches since 1997.
According to the application, when Kaipara applied for consent in the 1990s, it held consent for nearshore sand mining, but applied for offshore mining consent after consulting with the public.
The application takes care to distinguish itself from the McCallum Bros’ controversial nearshore sandmining operation at Pakiri, which will also soon be up for consent renewal.
Though it notes that the actual dredging of the seabed will continue to be done by the McCallum Bros’ vessel, the Coastal Carrier, on behalf of Kaipara Ltd.
To extract the sand, a suction dredge is dragged 10km across the seafloor, sucking approximately 30cm of sand from the seabed.
Friends of Pakiri spokesman Nick Williams says their incorporated society opposes both nearshore and offshore sand mining.
“The further out the better, but we want it all stopped. We are not convinced their science about the sand being replenished is right.”
“Pakiri is one of the last pristine environments, and we believe there are better options for sand extraction,” he says.
See aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say for the consent application and to make a submission. Submissions close June 4.
